He registered for the WWII draft, resided at Jefferson, Jackson Co., Georgia, employed by the Letaurmean Co. of Georgia, and described himself as 5'10", 155 lbs, with brown hair and blue eyes. He enlisted in the USAAF at Fort MacPherson, Atlanta, Georgia, on 2 October 1942. He was trained in the repair and maintenance of the mechanical and electrical parts of the C-46. He earned his crewman wings. He was assigned to 20th Air Force in India, to the Air Transport Command. On 8 September 1944, a C-46A, # 41-61054, assigned to 20th Air Force, 2nd Air Transport Squadron (Mobile), departed the airfield at Kalaikunda, India, for a cargo transportation mission to Chengtu, China. The last contact was by radio at about 0240 hours with Station Lalmanier Hat, in China. He is remembered on the memorial wall of the missing in the Manila American Cemetery & Memorial, Philippines. A memorial marker was placed in the Woodbine-Jefferson City Cemetery, Jefferson, Jackon Co., Georgia. He was awarded the Air Medal.

His father, born 6 May 1894, served during WW I, a Private, # 3497583, 7th Infantry Regiment, Co. A, and served in England, France and Germany from 26 June 1918 (Camp Gordon, Georgia) to 29 August 1919 disch. 25 June 1921). He died 28 February 1961 and is buried in Woodbine Cemetery, Jefferson, Georgia. The 7th Infantry Division was activated on 6 December 1917, exactly eight months after the American entry into World War I, as the 7th Division of the Regular Army at Camp Wheeler, Georgia. One month later, it prepared to deploy to Europe as a part of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). Most of the division sailed to Europe aboard the SS Leviathan. While on the Western Front, the 7th Division did not see action at full divisional strength, though its infantry and reconnaissance elements did engage German forces. On 11 October 1918, it first came under shell fire and later, at Saint-Mihiel, came under chemical attack. Elements of the 7th probed up toward Prény near the Moselle River, capturing positions and driving German forces out of the region. It was at this time that the division first received its shoulder sleeve insignia.

In early November, the 7th Division began preparing for an assault on the Hindenburg Line as part of the Second Army. The division launched a reconnaissance in force on the Voëvre plain, but the main assault was never conducted as hostilities ended on 11 November 1918 with the signing of the Armistice with Germany. During its 33 days on the front line, the 7th Division suffered 1,709 casualties, including 204 killed in action and 1,505 wounded in action. and was awarded a campaign streamer for Lorraine. During World War I, a well-prepared 7th Infantry landed in France as part of the newly formed 3d Infantry Division. It participated in the Aisne Defensive, the struggle at Chateau-Thierry, the Champaigne-Marne Defensive, and proceeded onward in offensive actions at Aisne-Marne, Meuse-Argonne, and St. Mihiel. Following distinctive action in seven campaigns, the French Croix de Guerre with Star was added to its ever-increasing number of unit honors.The division then served on occupation duties as it began preparations to return to the continental United States.